Ariel is a fictional character and the protagonist of Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated film Little Mermaid (1989). Later, she appeared in the movie's prequel TV series (1992-1994), the direct release of the video series "Little Mermaid II: back to the sea" (2000) and the direct release of the prequel "Little Mermaid: the starting point of Ariel" (2008). Jodi Benson expressed Ariel's voice in all official animation images and products. She is the fourth in the Disney Princess series, the first non-human princess, and the only one to become a mother of her own children.

Ariel is the seventh daughter of King Triton and queen Athena, an underwater Mermaid kingdom called Atlanta. She often rebelled, and in the last movie, she longed to be part of the human world. She married Prince Eric, who was rescued from the wreck, and they had a daughter, melody.

The character is based on the story of Hans Christian Andersen's little mermaid, but it developed into different characters in the 1989 animated film adaptation. Ariel is welcomed by critics. Some publications, such as time, criticized her for focusing too much on Eric, while others, such as Empire, praised the character for being rebellious, unlike previous Disney Princesses. Halle Bailey will play a role in a live action adaptation of the original 1989 film.

Ariel was renamed according to Hans Christian Anderson's the little mermaid, but co director and writer Ron Clements thought that the mermaid in the original story was too tragic, rewriting the role, thus creating Ariel.

Jodi Benson, who is primarily a stage actress, was chosen to voice Ariel because directors felt "it's important to have the same person sing and speak at the same time.". Clements said that Benson's voice has a unique "sweet" and "youth.". When recording vocals for "part of your world," Benson asked to dim the studio's lights to create a deep feeling under the sea. The songwriter Howard Ashman called it "I want" song. Because Jeffrey Katzenberg thought the story slowed down, it was originally cut from the last movie, but Ashman and Keane tried to keep it.

Ariel's original design was developed by animator Glen Keane. Her appearance is based on a number of inspiring sources: Alyssa Milano (then 16, except for the producer who hosts a special show on Disney Channel) and comedian Sherri Stoner, who provide animators with real-world references in the production process. Ariel's underwater hair movement is based on astronaut Sally ride's camera in space. By photographing Stoner's swimming in the swimming pool, it gives an additional reference, which also helps guide Ariel's water sports.

When making Ariel animations for 1989 films, the challenge is to display the colors Ariel needs in a changing environment, whether under the sea or on land. For this reason, animators need 32 color models, excluding clothing changes. The blue-green color of Ariel's Mermaid tail is a special blend of colors from Disney paint lab. The color is named "Ariel" after the character. Filmmakers and studio executives want red as Ariel's hair color, while filmmakers and producers want the character to have blonde hair. It's worth noting that red hair is in better contrast to Ariel's green tail. Red is more likely to turn black than yellow. Touchstone Pictures, Disney's real life branch, recently released splash with blonde Mermaid. Ariel's red hair was finally preserved.

In an interview, Jodi Benson said that in "the starting point of Ariel", the author has repeatedly revised the script to ensure that Ariel maintains her meaning in a more modern context. Benson complained to them that they were writing about Ariel's bad character and suggested that they bring her back to their roots.

Ariel is the youngest of the seven daughters of King Triton and queen Athena. She is often accompanied by her best friend flounder and her father's consultant Sebastian, who is often sent to look after her. In the TV series and the first movie, Ariel was fascinated by the human world and often went to find the human relics she displayed in a secret cave. Ariel often rebelled, wandered around to explore the surrounding environment, and often disobeyed his father's or Sebastian's orders, leading to conflicts between the characters. In little mermaid, she is portrayed as willing to do anything with Prince Eric, or even give up being a human voice. Clements described her as a typical teenager, prone to misjudgment. She was also curious, and curiosity often put her in danger.

As described in the TV series, Ariel is kind to others, regardless of their situation. In the early plot, Ariel helps an orphaned boy in trouble. In another episode, Ariel befriends an unfortunate creature and protects it from Ursula and other mermaids who want to be harmed. Ariel grew up in "back to basics" and gave birth to a daughter named melody. She became the first and only Disney Princess to become a mother. Ariel protects her daughter just as Triton played Ariel in the first movie. After Morgana threatened King Ariel and Triton, Eric and Prince Ariel built a wall around the palace to protect melody from Morgana and other maritime terrorist attacks. Although it protects her, it cannot protect her curiosity. After Jodi Benson advocated the restoration of her character, Ariel's beginning depicts her personality in her first film. Ariel rebelled again, escaping with Sebastian and his band after her father banned music in Atlanta.